Wardrobe

Villager: Flesh

Relationship Status: Single
Needless to say, this rabbit is unsettling to say the least. That much is obvious from the way the other villagers seem to avoid him, casting wary glances his way as he shambles along. Even Rain, who seems to be naturally drawn to the outcasts of the village, keeps her distance when close to the rabbit. You believe you have asked her why she lets the undead being stay in the village, in which her reply was that anyone was allowed to stay in the village as long as they came to her first, no matter how odd they seemed to be. Of course, Rain's definition of 'odd' was a bit... loose, to say the least.

Before you could exit the scene, however, the rabbit noticed you staring at him. And slowly but surely, he began to shamble towards you. Unsure of how to react, you held your ground. When you two were finally close enough so that you could hear his quiet voice amidst his raspy 'breathing', if that was what you could even call the noise, the rabbit seemed to smile and held out a paw. You hesitated, considering just getting out of there, but then took his paw in a handshake. It was cold, but you had expected that-after all, he wasn't technically alive. He didn't automatically try to bite you, so you were pretty sure that was a good sign.

"Hello... there... newcomer," the rabbit hacked, and you remembered with a jolt that Rain said he was able to speak. "I am Fla-a...-esh. Flesh the... rabbit. And... you are?" You introduced yourself, although a bit wary. The creature seemed to smile, as much as he could with his mutilated mouth and scraggly teeth, and let his paw fall to his side. "Nice... to meet... you, newcomer," it concluded.

It was then that you noticed that something seemed to be...moving within Flesh's chest cavity. Then, the small head of a Spring Seedling popped out of his pastel-colored intestines, gazing up at you with wide eyes and a twitching nose. The sight was no less than repulsive, and you were barely able to repress a shudder. Flesh noticed this, and let out a quick chuckle. "This... is my pet... Cutie Pie," he spoke, gesturing to the Seedling. "She likes... to stay near... me... for protection." You gave just a not in return. And with another twitch of her nose, Cutie Pie disappeared back within the zombie rabbit. As if sensing your discomfort, Flesh decided to bring up a different train of conversation, and asked: "So.... what brings you... to this part... of the swamp, anyways?"

~~~

Flesh didn't remember much of his past life before reuniting with an old friend, but what he did know he was able to describe with amazing detail. Flesh says he once was a famous dancer, able to prance and leap with grace while also charming the audience. He claims to have also started a career in modelling, which is how he came to have so many bright patterns on his fur. Flesh says he was well known throughout his homeland, which is why he isn't surprised he was murdered.

Flesh's death was the only moment in his past life he can remember in full and not just hazy fragments paired with some detail. He recounts that he was walking home one night when he was suddenly attacked by a few unknown figures and knocked out. After some events that he couldn't remember, he ended up at the side of a swamp, which would act as his final resting place. His eye was gouged out, and his mouth mutilated so his blood would gurgle his pained screams. And then they slashed his side, causing his guts to spill out from his body, and dumped the dying rabbit in a swamp.

It took a bit for Flash to Awaken, but his bright colors were able to scare off things that might want to feed on his corpse, allowing him to rise relatively untouched. He had been bitten by a zombie minipet, a product of Fern’s experimentation, whose bite was not volatile to other minipets, but to villagers. When he first crawled out of the water, he was in unfamiliar territory, and started to explore in search for someone that might help him. Boba happened to discover him, and since the alligator was not technically alive, he did not fear the zombie rabbit. Although Rain was much more suspicious (and fearful) when Boba brought Flesh to her, she allowed him to stay as long as he promised not to bite anyone. And thus, she dubbed him 'Flesh' as he had forgotten his name, and sent him off with a welcome gift in the form of a baby Spring Seedling. Now, said Seedling who Flesh has dubbed 'Cutie Pie' can occasionally be seen resting in his chest cavity, using his guts as a form of warmth and safety. Nonetheless, Rain is beginning to question her choice of a gift.




Before Flesh became a zombie, he was a rabbit known as Flash. Flash was part of a wealthy family, and due to such ended up going to a lot of shows and plays. Flash took an interest in the performances, and decided that when he grew up, he wanted to be a famous dancer. With some help from his family, he took dancing lessons and began to preform in small plays. When he was finally confident enough to perform by himself after gaining a bit of a reputation, Flash gathered up all the money he had earned and set off to travel the world.

At first, Flash didn't get gigs to perform in the bigger places where all the rich people went to watch the famous. He was still an amateur, after all. By the time he was a young adult, Flash decided that he needed to learn how to cater to all sorts of people in order to gather a larger audience, Flash began to preform at multiple carnivals. After one of his best performances, Flesh decided he wanted to get the opinion and perhaps some tips of someone who worked at the carnival as a means of improving his shows. Spotting a canine of a similar age by the name of Kaligari Flash struck up a friendly conversation with him so he could learn more about the kinds of people that worked at and went to the carnival and better understand that side of the industry.

At first, the conversation went almost nowhere. Kaligari seemed grumpy and unwilling to talk much although impressed with the rabbit's skill, and Flash suspected that there had to be a reason or explanation for the canine's behavior but had no idea what. However, as Flash continued to try to talk to Kaligari, the canine became less and less hostile. Pretty soon after Flash had first arrived at the carnival and struck up a conversation, they had become friends! Flash decided to stay at the carnival a little longer than usual, as he wanted to get to know the canine a little better. The two talked whenever neither of them had to work, with Flash learning more and more about the kinds of people at the carnival each time they talked. Kaligari always seemed to avoid talking about those who owned the carnival, especially the ringmaster, but Flash dismissed this as something minor and unimportant. After Flash had been staying at the carnival for a while and the two knew each other pretty well, Flash eventually decided to ask why Kaligari always seemed so unhappy and grumpy, and why he was so hostile when Flash first tried to talk to him. Flash had thought that there wasn't a very big reason for Kaligari's behavior, but that was far from the truth.

As it turned out, Kaligari was an orphan who had been taken in by the ringmaster, who owned the carnival, at a very young age. He endured many hardships, basically a slave to the cruel and abusive ringmaster and other entertainers who hurt him whenever they pleased. Kaligari was forced to do all the horrible jobs that no one else would do, but as he was an orphan with nowhere to go and no one else to turn to, he was pretty much stuck working under the horrid ringmaster. Flash was appalled, and wanted to get Kaligari out of there and out of the clutches of those who owned the carnival. Likewise, Kaligari desperately wanted to leave, and so the two ended up striking a deal. Flash needed a bodyguard, someone who could deal with all the fans and protect the rabbit, but Flash promised that Kaligari would be treated with kindness, practically like they were family. Of course, the canine agreed. And so, under the cover of a moonless night, Flash packed up everything he had brought to the carnival, hiding Kaligari within his possessions, and made a successful escape from the carnival, thus stealing Kaligari from the claws of the barbaric ringmaster.

To celebrate the escape and their new alliance, the two decided to dye their fur matching colors. It would serve as a sort of uniform, so that anyone who saw them would know that they worked together and were a team, since Flash was usually onstage and performing while Kaligari was usually offstage, They worked together for a number of years, with Flash eventually becoming a famous and well-known dancer while a now much happier Kaligari worked with the rabbit offstage. The two traveled the world together, and even as Flash amassed many fans and admirers, he was always the closest with Kaligari. None of his other friends or those who worked alongside the rabbit could ever replace Kaligari, as the two had a special bond that stemmed from everything they has endured together, and all the trust they had placed in each other.

However, not all good things could last, especially after Flash had angered the wrong people. For word had got back to the cruel ringmaster that it was Flash who had rescued Kaligari after the ringmaster had enslaved them for all those years, and now the two were working together. The ringmaster held a vendetta against Flash for stealing what he considered to be his personal 'property', and thus constructed a plan to kill Flash and reclaim Kaligari. And so, the ringmaster sent off masked thugs to murder the star as revenge for cheating him that night several years ago. After a particularly exciting yet tiring show, Flesh decided to talk a walk to clear his head. While walking along the darkened streets, he was suddenly attacked by a few masked figures. Unable to fight or escape, Flash was knocked out cold. Upon waking up, he realized he was in a moving vehicle filled to the brim with act props and disassembled game parts, causing Flash to realize that this was the ringmaster's doing. But due to faulty locks in the truck, he was able to break open the door and jumped out of the truck.

He tore off a large patch of skin and fur on his leg when he landed, but that did not deter Flash from trying to escape. Hobbling into a forest, Flash tried to ignore the sounds of screeching tires as they came to a halt, or the thudding sounds of footsteps as his captors pursued him into the woods-instead, he just tried to concentrate on running and escaping. And yet his efforts were all in vain, as the thugs caught him on the edge of a stinking swamp. Determined to make him suffer, they gouged out his eye and mutilated his mouth, finally dealing the death blow when they slashed open his side so that his guts spilled out onto the grass. To do away with the body, they dumped Flash into the murky waters of the swamp. As he sank deeper in the water and the light began to fade, water spilling into his lungs and bleeding body, the last thought Flash ever had was wondering what would become of Kaligari, of his old friend, now that he was in danger.



Life wasn’t exactly easy as a zombie. Of course, others were afraid of Flesh, despite him being unable to turn others into zombies and thus relatively harmless, and because of this fear Flesh was a social outcast. He had to rely on Fern for food and shelter, and although he did make a good lab assistant, most other villagers weren’t exactly willing to serve him even if he offered to pay them extra pocket change for a meal or trinket. There was also his physical limitations — Flesh was sluggish, slow, and had heavily nullified reactions. He walked with a stumble, and he had to talk very slowly lest the words become slurred, meaningless gibberish. But there was also the fact that Flesh was murdered, and in a quite cruel fashion as well. And because he was famous, whoever murdered him must have had to pull a lot of strings to actually go through with the deed. So Flesh, now a reanimated zombie, was constantly fearful that he would encounter someone who had helped plot his demise if he ever left Silverflecked Village, sometimes fretful that one of his enemies might even come to live at the quaint village. So, needless to say, Flesh became a recluse, sticking to the uninhabited swamps and darker alleyways, sometimes too petrified to even leave Fern’s home.

However, as time went on, Flesh eventually grew accustomed to being a zombie. As he learned to control his walking, speech, and even replicate ‘breathing’, he realized he wanted to see the world all over again. Slowly but surely, he became less afraid of going to big towns and cities, and all the other places that he used to perform at. Of course, he wouldn’t be going to any of those places for his first trip out of Silverflecked Village — best to start out small and late at night, just to be safe. So, one night where the moon was the only source of light that filtered through the needle-like leaves on the pine trees, Flesh decided to leave the village for the first time in what felt like forever. He bandaged up his midsection so his guts wouldn’t be hanging out of his chest, and acquired a large black coat to cover up his forms. He didn’t want his markings showing, after all, and with the coat all that was shown were his legs below the knees. And bidding Sweetie Pie goodbye, the zombie rabbit ventured out into the woods of Dragonsmaw Manor.

After a little while of exploring and wandering around the forest, cherishing each new sight and experience while also taking care to avoid any undesirable monsters, Flesh saw lights in the distance. Following a distant tune that sounded almost merry despite the odd time of day, the zombie rabbit stepped out of the woods to realize he had stumbled upon a carnival. Guessing he wouldn’t be too out of place despite his odd looks and bright colors, for a nighttime fair brought all sorts of crowds, and knowing that he could probably buy a mask to hide his mouth, Flesh eagerly but meekly made his way to the front entrance. He paid the entrance fee and had a nice meal of fried chicken, soon deciding that he wanted to play some games and have some fun. Who knows, maybe not all the games were rigged, maybe he could even win a prize! And games had another perk as well — unlike watching a show in one of the tents or getting his fortune told, at a mere carnival game Flesh wouldn’t be too close to others. And it’s not like the carnies actually pay attention to all the people they scam, right? Well, after Flesh approached a ‘tin can alley’ sort of game, a few words with the oddly familiar canine running it proved that thought very, very wrong.

Flesh, of course, had an extremely fuzzy memory and was only able to remember a few certain details and scenes of his past life, but having spent so much time with Kaligari and having known him so well Flesh immediately recognized the carnie as his old bodyguard and best friend. He still couldn’t remember the canine’s name though, leading him to doubt the sudden burst of recognition and just play the game as if nothing was out of the ordinary, saying nothing but the usual pleasantries. The carnie didn’t seem out of the ordinary at first, but continued to watch Flesh suspiciously as the zombie rabbit attempted to win the obviously rigged game. But soon, the canine started an oddly specific conversation, spouting questions and comments that seemed designed to get information out of Flesh. He remarked on how similar their colors were despite Flesh wearing a coat and mash which covered his muzzle and midsection, saying how Flesh reminded him of someone he used to know and work with. Flesh, meanwhile, was constantly wondering why the carnie looked so familiar, and in trying to remember the canine’s name attempted to be as active in the conversation as he could. With each word exchanged Flesh grew ever the more hopeful that he had finally found someone from his past, but yet with hope came a dark out of dread. What might his old friend think of him, now that he was a gruesome zombie? Would he be happy? Horrified? A mix of emotions upon realizing that Flesh was now back from the dead. When the carnie mentioned that Flesh also appeared familiar to someone he once knew, Flesh — so desperate to find answers — would reveal that he was a zombie and cast aside his mask and revealing the bandages under his coat.

It was almost as if nothing had ever changed. Kaligari didn’t seem frightened in the slightest at Flesh’s new appearance, and was actually quite relieved and emotional — which probably hasn’t happened for a very long time — and the zombie rabbit was absolutely elated. Pretty soon, they were talking nonstop, determined to catch up with one another and help Flesh regain his memories. Whenever Flesh recalled anything, Kaligari would fill in the gaps of their partnership and career together, and how it came to an end. Flesh, at first, was overwhelmed at being bombarded with all the answers to the questions he had about his past life, but contrary to what Kaligari had thought, he wasn’t mad about the canine practically being the reason for his death. Despite the carnie’s overwhelming guilt, Flesh actually didn’t think it was his fault at all. They had been friends for so long, how could Flesh blame him? It wasn’t Kaligari’s fault that he had been taken in by the cruel ringmaster. Plus, Flesh wasn’t very willing to leave a friend from his past again. And the longer they talked, with every memory Flesh regained, he actually began to regain the ability to feel emotion as well, which only wanted Flesh to hang out with his old friend further, and to try and help Kaligari with their emotional struggles since guilt had been eating away at the poor canine.

Once the two were all caught up, they soon found a way to spend time with each other, which was pretty easy considering the fact that Flesh didn’t have a job. With Kalagari working in a carnival and Flesh ready and willing to get back into the show business, they soon formed a new act, made all the easier since Flesh could be harmed but not actually hurt and permanently damaged due to being undead. They started a schedule, the acts during the day being tame due to the presence of kids, whereas the ones at night were much more gory. During the day, Flesh would put on small plays — aided by his expurience as a dancer — and participate in a knife-throwing act, as all it took were a couple stitches to patch the would, given that there was no risk of pain or bleeding. This also helped with the training of new knife-throwers, which was an extra perk. But during the night, the audience would witness more outrageous acts, including the old magician’s trick of sawing someone in half. But instead of some illusion, Kaligari can literally saw Flesh in half, exposed guts and all, and then put him back together as if nothing of the sort had ever occurred! And the crowd would always go wild. Flesh works a couple days during the week, and takes the rest of the days off to regain his energy — being a zombie can be tiring, after all. On these days, two hang out a lot, visiting each other at their hometown and showing each other around, going out to shows or other carnivals, or getting a bite to eat. Sometimes they just decide to chill, to relax together and reminisce about ‘the good ol’ days’, with Kaligari telling stories of the past years they had spent together and continuing to help Flesh remember it.

Before reuniting with Kaligari, Flesh would try to help and bond with others, but couldn’t because he was an outcast, a zombie. He could’ve never been mad at Kaligari for his death, because to him, Kaligari is helping the rabbit as much as Flesh is helping the canine. And now that they are hanging out and working together as if nothing tragic had ever separated them in the first place, Flesh is finally happy.

Paintie by @Glaciarie !